Orville Peck | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Daniel Pitout |
Born | Johannesburg, South Africa | January 6, 1988
Origin | Canada |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, actor |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, drums, guitar, piano |
Years active | 2008–present |
Labels | |
Formerly of | Nü Sensae |
Website | www |
Daniel Pitout (born January 6, 1988), known professionally as Orville Peck, is a South African country musician based in the United States and Canada. He is well-known for wearing a mask and not showing his face publicly. [1] [2] [3] [4]
He released his debut album Pony in 2019, [1] followed by the EP Show Pony the next year. His second studio album Bronco was released in 2022. Following a self-imposed hiatus in 2023, Peck released his third studio album Stampede in 2024. Orville’s voice is described as “deep, calm bass-baritone that recalls the bygone era of Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison; the haunting guitar riffs drift between rockabilly, blues, and dreamy shoegazing distortions." [5]
Peck was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lived there until he was 15. [6] As a child, he taught himself music by playing an acoustic guitar and an old Casio keyboard. [7] He is the son of a sound engineer, and he did voice-over work for cartoons and other media as a child. [8] Growing up, he took ballet classes for 12 years, and performed in musical theatre productions. By the time he was in his early 20s, he had been on national tours of musicals. [8]
Peck moved to London for a foundation degree in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2014. [9] He then played Jonathan Harris/Peter Pan in the Mischief Theatre production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre in 2016. [10] [11]
Peck self-produced his debut album, Pony, and released it in 2019 through a collaboration with Sub Pop. [12] He has noted that he "wrote, produced and played every instrument he could" on the album while working in a coffee shop and living with his parents. [13] In June of that year, he performed his songs "Dead of Night" and "Take You Back" live on CBC Radio One's Q . [14] Pony was named to the initial longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize in June 2019. [15] The album also received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020. [16]
Also in 2019, he started an annual Orville Peck's Rodeo, which takes place in different cities across the US and brings in up-and-comers in the country music genre. [17]
Peck performed "Dead of Night" on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 29, 2020. [18] He also announced a tour of selected cities in the United States, including performances at the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals. [18]
In May 2020, Peck announced the follow-up to his debut album, an EP titled Show Pony, with a release date of June 12, 2020. In June 2020, Peck announced the delayed release of Show Pony until August 14, 2020, in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd protests. [19] [20]
Peck recorded a cover of "Smalltown Boy" for the 2020 Pride edition of the Spotify Singles series. The song was released exclusively on Spotify on June 29, 2020, and everywhere else on July 31, 2020. [21]
In April 2021, Peck was featured on American drag queen and singer Trixie Mattel's EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1 . He appeared on a duet cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's "Jackson". [22] Although not credited in the liner notes for the EP, Trixie Mattel has confirmed that the whistle part in "Video Games" is Peck's whistle. [23] In June, he was revealed to be the sixth artist on Lady Gaga's Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary , with Peck reimagining the song "Born This Way" in a country style. [24]
On March 16, 2023, Peck made an appearance as a guest on the judge's panel on MTV's RuPaul's Drag Race , alongside RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, and Ross Mathews. [25] In 2023, Peck was a coach and judge on My Kind of Country. [26]
On April 5, 2024, Peck released a cover of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" with country musician Willie Nelson as the lead single from Stampede , Peck's third studio album and first duets album. The single marked his first release on Warner Records. [27] Peck also announced a headlining North American tour, The Stampede Tour, which began on May 28, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. [28] In May 2024, Peck released the duet "How Far Will We Take It?" with Noah Cyrus. On 7 June 2024, Peck released the single "Midnight Ride" alongside Kylie Minogue and Diplo. [29]
It has been confirmed that Orville Peck is a persona of Daniel Pitout, drummer of the Canadian punk band Nü Sensae. [30] It was previously speculated that Pitout was Peck based on the similarity of their tattoos, [31] [32] and Peck's mentioning that he was in a punk band. Pitout was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, [33] as was Peck. [6] Pitout is also listed by ASCAP as the songwriter for Peck's song "Old River" [34] and other songs that match the titles of the songs released by Peck, such as "Roses Are Falling". [35]
In his interview to National Public Radio on June 18, 2019, Orville said: "I've never raised cattle or anything like that, but I think I've been a cowboy my whole life." [36]
Peck strongly identifies with 1970s era country music and lists classic stars Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Bobbie Gentry, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton as influences. Outside of country music, Peck has mentioned Roy Orbison, Oasis, Whitney Houston and Lana Del Rey and film directors David Lynch and John Waters as influences. [37] [38]
Peck is gay. [31] [39] A shirtless selfie of Peck appeared in Out in April 2024, [40] and an interview in the July 2024 issue of Paper was accompanied by semi-nude photos. [41]
In 2008, Pitout posed unmasked for Gayletter . [42] He has given various accounts of how he came to adopt a mask :
As of July 2024 [update] , Peck lives in Los Angeles. [46] His home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2023. [47]
Year | Award | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Polaris Music Prize [15] | Pony | Album of the Year | Longlisted |
2020 | Libera Awards [48] | Himself | Best Breakthrough Artist | Won |
Pony | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
Best Country Album | Won | |||
"Dead of Night" | Video of the Year | Nominated | ||
Juno Awards [16] | Pony | Alternative Album of the Year | Nominated | |
2021 | GLAAD Media Awards [49] | Show Pony | Outstanding Breakthrough Artist | Nominated |
Queerty Awards [50] | "Summertime" | Indie Music Vid | Nominated | |
2022 | "Born This Way" [51] | Anthem | Nominated | |
Tom of Finland Foundation [52] [53] | Himself | Cultural Icon Award | Won | |
Polaris Music Prize [54] | Bronco | Album of the Year | Longlisted | |
2023 | GLAAD Media Awards [55] | Outstanding Music Artist | Nominated | |
Juno Awards [56] | Country Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
Canadian Country Music Awards [57] | Himself | Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year | Nominated | |
2024 | GLAAD Media Awards | GLAAD Vito Russo Award | Won |
In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people". [58] [59]
In June 2022, Peck was presented with the Cultural Icon Award by the Tom of Finland Foundation, "for artistic achievement and immeasurable contributions to the art and culture of our community", an award previously presented to Rob Halford, Henry Rollins, Clive Barker and John Waters. [60]
The USPTO registered “Orville Peck’’ trademark (serial number 88665699 ) on June 2, 2020. [61]
Orville Peck discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 3 |
EPs | 4 |
Singles | 9 |
Music videos | 14 |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCO [62] | UK Amer. [62] | UK DL [62] | UK Cou. [62] | US [63] | US Cou. [64] | US Folk [65] | US Indie [66] | US Rock [67] | ||
Pony | — | 8 | — | 12 | — [A] | — | — | 27 | — | |
Bronco |
| 22 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 80 | 11 | 4 | — | 13 |
Stampede | 19 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 159 | 33 | 18 | — | — |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK Amer. [62] | UK DL [62] | US Cou. [64] | US Folk [65] | US Rock [67] | US Sales [68] | ||
Show Pony | 8 | 17 | 46 | 8 | 50 | 20 | |
Bronco: Chapter 1 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Bronco: Chapters 1 & 2 |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
Stampede: Vol. 1 |
| 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Big Sky" | 2018 | Pony |
"Dead of Night" | 2019 | |
"Turn to Hate" | ||
"Summertime" | 2020 | Show Pony |
"No Glory in the West" | ||
"Smalltown Boy" (Spotify Singles) | Non-album singles | |
"Unchained Melody"/"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (as The Unrighteous Brothers with Paul Cauthen) | ||
"Born This Way" (The Country Road Version) | 2021 | Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary |
"Miss Chatelaine" (Iron Hoof Remix) (with k. d. lang) | Non-album singles | |
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" | 2022 | |
"This Masquerade" | 2023 | A Song for Leon: A Tribute to Leon Russell |
"Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" (with Willie Nelson) | 2024 | Stampede: Vol. 1 |
"Midnight Ride" (with Kylie Minogue and Diplo) | Stampede | |
"Death Valley High" (with Beck) | ||
"Permanently Lonely" [72] | Skincare | |
"Happy Trails" | Non-album single | |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Jackson" (Trixie Mattel featuring Orville Peck) | 2021 | Full Coverage, Vol. 1 |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Intro" | 2020 | Diplo | Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil |
"I'm Making Believe" | 2023 | King Princess | A Small Light (Songs from the Limited Series) |
"This Is Nowhere" (Long Version) | — | Hilda: Season 2 (Original Series Soundtrack) | |
"Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" (Live at The Hollywood Bowl) | Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 (Live at The Hollywood Bowl) |
Title | Year | Director |
---|---|---|
"Big Sky" [73] | 2018 | Deni Cheng |
"Dead of Night" [74] | 2019 | Michael Maxxis |
"Turn to Hate" [75] | Orville Peck Carlos Santolalla | |
"Hope to Die" [76] | Blake Mawson | |
"Nothing Fades Like the Light" [77] | Deni Cheng | |
"Queen of the Rodeo" [78] | 2020 | Austin Peters |
"Summertime" [79] | Drew Kirsch Taylor Fauntleroy | |
"No Glory in the West" [20] | Isaiah Seret | |
"Legends Never Die" (featuring Shania Twain) [80] | Cameron Duddy | |
"Jackson" (with Trixie Mattel) [81] | 2021 | Assaad Yacoub |
"C'mon Baby, Cry" [82] | 2022 | Austin Peters |
"Daytona Sand" [83] | ||
"The Curse of the Blackened Eye" [84] | ||
"Hexie Mountains" [85] | ||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | Guest judge | Season 4, episode 3 |
This Is Pop | Host | Season 1, episode 5 | |
Miley Cyrus Presents: Stand by You | Himself | Performed "Cowboy Take Me Away" with Cyrus | |
2022 | Trixie Motel | Guest | Episode 3 |
2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Guest Judge | Season 15, episode 12 & 16 (Performer) [86] |
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked | Himself | Episode: "Untucked: Wigloose: The Rusical!" | |
My Kind of Country | Winning coach |
"Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" is a 1981 song by Latin country musician Ned Sublette featuring a "lilting West Texas waltz", widely known as the "gay cowboy song". The song satirizes stereotypes associated with cowboys and gay men, with lyrics relating western wear to leather subculture: "What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?"
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Nü Sensae is a Canadian punk and grunge trio from Vancouver composed of bassist-vocalist Andrea Lukic, drummer Daniel Pitout, and guitarist Brody McKnight. In 2012, Spin magazine named them in their list of top five best new artists. Nü Sensae are currently signed to Suicide Squeeze Records. Due to Pitout pursuing education in England, the group went on hiatus in August 2014.
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The discography of American drag queen, singer-songwriter, and comedian Trixie Mattel consists of four studio albums, six extended plays, one compilation album, 18 singles, and 17 music videos.
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Mikaela Mullaney Straus, known by her stage name King Princess, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She is signed to Mark Ronson's label Zelig Records, an imprint of Columbia Records. In February 2018, King Princess released her debut single "1950", from her debut extended play (EP) Make My Bed, released later that year. The song was a commercial success, charting in multiple territories, and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her second single, "Talia", was certified gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). King Princess released her debut studio album Cheap Queen in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim.
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Pony is the debut studio album by South African country musician Orville Peck, released on March 22, 2019 by Sub Pop. A country, alternative country, and cowboy pop album, Pony features elements of goth, dream pop, shoegaze, indie rock, surf rock, post-punk, gospel folk.
Show Pony is the first extended play by South African country music artist Orville Peck, and a companion to his debut studio album Pony. Announced by Peck as a bridge between Pony and the next full-length album, it was released on August 14, 2020 by Columbia Records, making his debut major-label release. It received positive reviews from critics.
Full Coverage, Vol. 1 is an extended play (EP) by Trixie Mattel, released on April 30, 2021. The four-track collection includes cover versions of songs by Lana Del Rey, Violent Femmes, Cher, and Johnny Cash. Orville Peck is featured on the duet "Jackson".
Trixie Motel is an American reality television docuseries that follows Trixie Mattel and her partner David Silver as they buy and renovate a rundown motel in Palm Springs, California.
The Blonde & Pink Albums are a double album and collectively the fourth studio album by American drag queen and singer-songwriter Trixie Mattel, released on June 24, 2022, by Producer Entertainment Group. The album was promoted by the singles "Hello Hello", "This Town", and "C'mon Loretta" prior to release and includes collaborations with Shakey Graves and Michelle Branch.
Bronco is the second studio album by South African singer-songwriter Orville Peck, released on April 8, 2022, by Columbia Records. It was nominated for Country Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023 and was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize.
Trixie and Katya is a comedy duo consisting of drag queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. The two have been known for their individual careers as entertainers and often as a popular double act. They first met as contestants on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and quickly became audience favourites, developing an even larger audience as they began to appear together in December 2015 on YouTube.
Stampede is the third studio album by South African singer-songwriter Orville Peck. It was released on August 2, 2024, through Warner. The album follows 2022's Bronco and a self-imposed hiatus in 2023, and was accompanied by a promotional tour as well as the lead single, a cover of "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other", recorded as a duet with Willie Nelson. The album title continues the theme of Peck's releases having names related to horses, and was preceded by an EP with several songs that span multiple music genres.
Everyone thinks I'm Canadian because I lived in Canada for a long time, but I'm not. I was born in South Africa—I grew up in Johannesburg until I was 15. I never talked about where I was from only because I wanted to wait—obviously, I'm a man of mystery and I like to not give everyone everything all at once. ... There's a sense of guilt and regret in the song about leaving somewhere that you don't really want to leave because you have to go make your way in the world. I'm so proud to be South African. I go back there all the time.